Demonstration of intercropping perennial ryegrass (PRG) with oat
The project will demonstrate the application of scientific knowledge of intercropping to the practical use of planting a companion crop (oat) with a forage seed crop (perennial ryegrass).
This two-year project aims to assess plant establishment, agronomic performance seed yield and quality of oat, winter survival of the perennial ryegrass, and seed yield of perennial ryegrass by comparing two methods of seed placement of oat in relation to perennial ryegrass while assessing the effect of four oat seeding rates.
We demonstrated two different seed placements (side band and deeper than perennial ryegrass, same row as perennial ryegrass) compared to monocrop, and four seeding rates (0.25 X, 0.5X, 0.75, 1X). Three locations were planted in 2021 (Redvers SE Research Farm, Prince Albert Conservation Learning Center); however, the Melfort NE Agriculture Research Foundation site was re-seeded in 2022.
CDC Arborg oat crop has been harvested from each location. Perennial ryegrass, turf-type CE-1, was harvested from the Redvers trial site in 2022 and results are being analyzed. Due to environmental conditions at Prince Albert, the perennial ryegrass stand at the end of June 2022 did not justify proceeding to seed harvest. The Melfort site, delayed by one year relative to the other sites, had good moisture and nutrient availability going into winter 2022; the oat straw was removed by baling and the area has received substantive snow cover.
The project is funded by Saskatchewan Agriculture under the Government of Saskatchewan’s Ag Demonstration of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) program. The ADOPT project activities are a collaborative venture with partial funding contributed by the Government of Saskatchewan and the Government of Canada under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The project was further supported by SFSDC check-off funds and industry contributions of seed and technical support from FP Genetics and Brett Young.
Based on the field demonstration site at Melfort SK, 2022 and 2023, we found:
In 2002, there were no significant differences in oat seed yield or thousand kernel weight (TKW grams per 1000 seeds) at a probability level of p<0.05 when comparing the nine treatments assessing oat seed placement and planting rates. Total rainfall at the trial site, from May to October 2022 was 282 mm, compared to the long-term average of 293 mm. May, June and July temperatures were as expected; mean temperatures for August, September and October were slightly above average.
The mixed intercropped combination does not appear to affect oat yields when compared to oats grown as a mono-crop. Monocrop oat yielded 5195 kg/ha (136 bu/ac = 100%, TKW 36.5 g).
The top four intercrop combinations of milling oat CDC Arborg co-planted with turf-type CE-1 perennial ryegrass are: o
at planted as sideband relative to perennial ryegrass, 1.0X oat seeding rate: yield 148 bu/ac, TKW 37.4 g
oat sideband, 0.5X rate (64 lb/acre) 143 bu/ac TKW 36.8 g
oat in same seed row, 1.0X rate 142 bu/ac TKW 37.8 g
oat in same seed row, 0.5X rate 141 bu/ac TKW 37.0 g
Perennial ryegrass was not successfully harvested in 2023. Final results will posted upon approval of the final report.
Based on the field demonstration site at Redvers SK, 2021 and 2022, we found:
In 2021, there were no significant differences in oat seed yield, plant height, or oat biomass at a probability level of p<0.05 when comparing the nine treatments assessing oat seed placement and planting rates. Total rainfall at the trial site, from April 01 to October 18, 2021 was 291 mm.
The mixed intercropped combination does not appear to affect oat yields when compared to oats grown as a mono-crop. Monocrop oat yielded 2,367 kg/ha (66 bu/ac = 100%).
The top four intercrop combinations of milling oat CDC Arborg co-planted with turf-type CE-1 perennial ryegrass are:
oat planted as sideband relative to perennial ryegrass, 0.5X oat seeding rate: yield 71 bu/ac (107.3% monocrop oat).
oat sideband, 1.0X rate: 70 bu/ac (106.3% monocrop oat)
oat in same seed row, 0.25X rate: 70 bu/ac (106.2% monocrop oat)
oat in same seed row, 0.5X rate: 67 bu/ac (101.5% monocrop oat)
Following a field tour at the Redvers field site, an article was published as a farm news media release, August 5, 2021.
Click to read the Sask. research farm tackles intercropping article.
The site received sufficient amounts of precipitation after the oat harvest. Total precipitation at the trial site was 27.8 mm from November 2021 to March 2022. Total rainfall recorded at the trial site from April 01 to October 2022 was 662 mm.
Perennial ryegrass was successfully harvested at the Redvers site in 2022.
Using a Least Significant Difference All-Pairwise Test comparing the two factors - oat placement and oat seeding rate - there were significant differences in turf-type perennial ryegrass seed yield, plant height and plant density when estimated as percent green canopy cover at a probability level of p<0.05 when comparing the nine treatments assessing oat seed placement and planting rates.
The highest seed yield resulted from turf-type perennial ryegrass as a monocrop, 786 kg/ha, followed by 633 kg/ha when oat was placed as side-band and planted at 0.5X oat seeding rate.
the lowest perennial ryegrass seed yield was 358 kg/ha when oat was placed as a side-band and planted at a 1.0X seeding rate.
When comparing intercrop treatments of perennial ryegrass seed with oat placed as a side-band compared to both crops planted in the same-row, there were no significant differences in perennial ryegrass seed yield at Redvers in 2022 - at a p-value of 0.05 .
Oat placed as side-band resulted in a 533 kg/ha seed yield of perennial ryegrass.
When oat and perennial ryegrass were planted in the same-row, the perennial ryegrass seed yield was 511 kg/ha.
When comparing intercrop treatments based on different oat seeding rates, there were no significant differences in perennial ryegrass seed yield.
At 0.25X oat seeding rate, perennial ryegrass seed yield was 578 kg/ha,
At 0.5X oat seeding rate, perennial ryegrass yielded 545 kg/ha, 0.75X yielded 536 kg/ha and 1.0X rate 428 kg/ha.
Using market prices at the time of harvest for each crop, oat placed as side-band relative to perennial ryegrass and planted at 0.5X rate generated the highest 2-year gross revenue of $1,843/acre.
When each crop was planted as a monocrop, gross 2-year revenue was $1,889/acre. PLEASE NOTE: the gross revenue is NOT based on average prices. Milling oat fall delivery prices in the area were $18.00/bu in 2021, and perennial ryegrass delivery (initial) prices were approximately $1.00/lb in 2022.
Based on the field demonstration site at Prince Albert SK, 2021 and 2022, we found:
There were no significant differences in oat seed yield or thousand kernel weight (TKW grams per 1000 seeds) at a probability level of p<0.05 when comparing the nine treatments assessing oat seed placement and planting rates.
The intercropped combination does not appear to affect oat yields when compared to oats grown as a mono-crop. Monocrop oat yielded 1,221 kg/ha (34 bu/ac = 100%, TKW 38 g). Due to the extremely hot and dry spring growing conditions in 2021, oat did not perform as expected for the region. Total rainfall at the trial site, from May to October 2021, was 202 mm, compared to the long-term average of 299 mm.
The top four intercrop combinations of milling oat CDC Arborg co-planted with turf-type CE-1 perennial ryegrass are:
oat planted as sideband relative to perennial ryegrass, 1.0X oat seeding rate: yield 40 bu/ac, TKW 39 g
oat in same seed row, 1.0X rate: 33.4 bu/ac TKW 38 g
oat in same seed row, 0.5X rate: 31.7 bu/ac TKW 45 g
oat as sideband, 0.75X rate: 28 bu/ac TKW 36 g
Perennial ryegrass was not successfully harvested in 2022.
Visual ratings of perennial ryegrass in late August 2021 and post-harvest drone images of the trial site in October, suggested the potential for good stand establishment in the mixed intercropping treatments and the monocrop perennial ryegrass. However, the oat straw and chaff residues partially covered the trial site.
Plant available nutrient analysis post harvest oat indicated sufficient levels of N, P, K and S supporting perennial ryegrass seed production.
Although snow cover came early in fall 2021, the dry spring in 2022 may have slowed the new spring growth of the perennial ryegrass as it quickly came out of dormancy after mid-April. In addition, the sharp and sustained drop in temperature (two days/nights of -5C April 25 & 26, 2022), concurrent with the rapid disappearance of snow cover two days prior, likely caused severe damage to the crown root area of the perennial ryegrass plants. Some spring precipitation arrived on June 9, but by the end of June, only a few perennial ryegrass plants had survived the extreme growing conditions.
Read the full report PDFs